I WAS Humanity's HOPE-Chapter 28: Draco Malfoy

Richard eased the door shut, the muted click swallowed by the buzzing chatter within. For a moment, no one noticed him, the crowd of senior apprentices too engrossed in their mockery of Trevor and Oren. A clumsy imitation of Oren’s careful wandwork earned a burst of laughter, and Trevor’s forced smile grew more rigid by the second.

Why are humans so fucking bad, Richard thought, irritation stirring in his chest.

He slipped further into the room, weaving between shelves stacked high with weathered tomes. Despite the chaotic scene, the place was clearly meant for quiet study—solid wooden tables and stiff-backed chairs arranged in neat rows, bright mage-lights suspended overhead.

A tall senior with cropped hair and a smug expression spoke in a carrying whisper. "Honestly, how did you not get kicked out in the first purge? If you two are from the good crop, I’m honestly terrified for your whole group. Makes me wonder how awful those seven who got kicked out must’ve been for you to stay in the Mage’s Guild."

His words drew more snickers. A few seniors looked vaguely uncertain, as if perhaps this was going too far, but none spoke up to stop it.

Silently, Richard circled round, his footsteps near-silent on the polished floor. Then, in one fluid motion, he stepped between the tall senior and Trevor.

"Oh, really? Do you want to see for yourself how bad this crop is?" he asked, voice low.

The sneers faltered. Those nearest to Richard shrank back a fraction, unsettled by his sudden arrival. The tall senior blinked, clearly not expecting an interloper.

However, as soon as he grasped the jew situation, his smile widened.

"Ah, another little novice*,*" he drawled, as though feigning cordiality. "Come to rescue your little friends?"

Richard tilted his head slightly, studying the taller student with amused disdain. "Yes, actually," he replied dryly, folding his arms and leaning casually against one of the sturdy wooden tables. "I couldn’t resist the chance to play hero, given how terrifyingly competent your insults are."

The tall senior narrowed his eyes, irritation cracking through his smug exterior. "You’re quite bold for a novice. Perhaps someone should teach you a little respect."

"Respect?" Richard echoed, mock surprise flickering across his face. "I was about to say the same. You know, there’s something distinctly Draco Malfoy about you—blond hair aside, you’re definitely nailing the pretentious prat and arrogant bully act down to a tee. Quite the performance, really. Do they give awards for playground intimidation these days?"

A ripple of nervous laughter spread through the room. The senior flushed deeply, anger eroding any façade of civility he had tried to maintain.

"Who the hell is Draco Malfoy?" he demanded.

Richard sighed theatrically, casting his eyes toward the ceiling. "Oh, you wouldn’t know him. He’s from an obscure little children’s story about bullies and wizards. You might want to look into it—it could be very enlightening."

The senior’s nostrils flared, his knuckles white around the hilt of his wand. "Listen, novice, you should know your place."

"My place?" Richard repeated, lifting an eyebrow coolly. "What is this, some bad historical drama? Should I start grovelling now or wait for your next masterful quip?"

The senior’s patience frayed visibly. He stepped closer, voice dropping to a low growl that betrayed the edge of his composure. "You talk tough for someone who’s barely learned to hold a wand properly."

"Oh, I’ve learned to hold all sorts of things," Richard countered, a hint of dangerous amusement colouring his words. "Attention, mostly—something you’re clearly desperate for."

Around them, the snickers faded into tense silence. Trevor and Oren shifted uneasily behind Richard, clearly wary of escalating tensions but also reassured by Richard’s steadfast confidence and his unique talent of performing impossible feats.

"Do you ever wonder," Richard continued, eyes glittering sharply, "why you need to lord it over a bunch of little novicesto feel important? Did mummy not hug you enough, or are you simply compensating for something else?"

The senior’s cheeks turned a violent shade of crimson. His jaw clenched tightly, frustration transforming rapidly into something darker. Without further warning, his wand snapped upward, eyes blazing with anger as he spat out the first syllable of a curse.

Time slowed to a crawl.

Richard’s awareness expanded instantly, his senses sharpening to an impossible degree. He watched calmly as the senior’s mouth formed the syllables of what he guessed to be a binding curse.

He almost rolled his eyes at the sluggishness of it all. It was astonishing, Richard thought mildly, how predictable people could be.

He moved, impossibly swift. In a blink, he closed the distance between them and casually raised his hand, a motion so deceptively simple it seemed mundane.

His backhand connected squarely with the senior’s chest, the air around them snapping with a dull, resonant boom. The senior’s expression twisted from rage to startled disbelief as he was hurled bodily across the room, crashing into a shelf of old tomes, knocking them down.

One of them might have landed on his head!

Time resumed its normal pace.

The room fell into stunned silence, every breath suspended in shock as the students stared wide-eyed at Richard. Trevor’s jaw dropped slightly, while Oren’s eyes widened in open astonishment. Even they hadn’t expected something like that.

The senior, tangled amidst scattered parchment and dusty books, moaned softly as he struggled to sit upright, all while holding his head.

His bravado was utterly shattered.

Richard straightened, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve, and turned back to the silent crowd.

"Well, that was embarrassing," he remarked lightly. "For a moment, I almost thought you might actually be competent."

The rest of the senior apprentices shrank back as if physically repelled by Richard’s casual demonstration of power. The mocking confidence evaporated instantly, replaced by fear and uncertainty.

"Anyone else fancy a turn?" Richard asked innocently, looking around the room with exaggerated politeness. "I’ve got a few minutes to spare."

Hurriedly, the senior apprentices shook their heads or averted their gazes, none daring to meet his eyes. Richard exhaled softly and stepped away, nodding in satisfaction.

"Good," he said cheerfully. "Glad we cleared that up."

He glanced over at Trevor and Oren, who were still gaping at him. "Shall we?" he prompted mildly, tilting his head toward the exit.

They followed obediently, hurrying after Richard as he made his way leisurely towards the door. As he passed the table near the entrance, Richard reached out smoothly, retrieving the two coffee cups he had set down earlier.

"Mustn’t forget these," he murmured, flashing a casual grin at his buddies still frozen in shock. "They’re quite expensive."

As the door clicked shut behind them, Trevor finally found his voice. "What...how...?"

Oren, more direct, voiced exactly what Trevor was struggling to articulate. "What the hell, Richard? How did you even do that? You’re supposed to be E-Rank!"

Richard shrugged slightly, affecting a faintly embarrassed expression. "I know, right! I must have been lucky."

Trevor shot him an incredulous look. "You backhanded a D-Rank across the room, mate! Luck doesn’t come into it!"

"Fine," Richard conceded, a smirk playing across his lips. "Maybe I’ve been working out."

Both apprentices groaned, shaking their heads at his non-answer.

"I don’t get it," Oren muttered, glancing nervously behind them as they made their way through the hallways.

Richard sighed, resigned. "Look, does it really matter right now? I was just tired of seeing them treat you both like rubbish."

"Yeah, but you can’t pretend that wasn’t completely insane," Trevor insisted, though the admiration in his eyes betrayed how impressed he was.

Richard glanced away, suddenly uncomfortable with their open awe. "People like that just piss me off. Always acting superior because they’re too scared to admit they’re just as insecure as everyone else."

The corridor widened as they approached the library.

Oren nudged Trevor lightly. "Hey, Richard, does Nadia know how strong you are?"

Richard winced slightly, considering how Nadia might react. "Not exactly. I’m trying not to make too big a deal about it."

Trevor snorted. "Right. Because smacking a senior student across a room isn’t a big deal."

Richard chuckled ruefully. "Touché."

The grand doors to the library swung open quietly as they entered. Inside, the comforting hush of the vast chamber enveloped them, a sharp contrast to the tension they’d left behind.

At one of the corner tables, Nadia was hunched over an enormous volume, her brow furrowed as she scribbled furiously on parchment. Hearing footsteps, she glanced up and smiled warmly, her tired eyes lighting up in relief.

"You’re late," she whispered teasingly, eyeing the coffee cups in Richard’s hands. "Did you have to brew those yourself?"

Richard laughed softly, sliding one cup across the polished table. "Here’s your latte. Sorry, got caught up in a bit of a diplomatic incident."

Her gaze sharpened, suspiciously amused. "Did you start it or end it?"

"Both," Trevor cut in drily, slumping into a chair and rubbing his temples. "And you missed the show of the century."

Nadia raised an eyebrow, looking curiously between the three of them. "Care to explain?"

Richard took a thoughtful sip of his own coffee before leaning back comfortably, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Just a minor disagreement about respect and literary references."

Nadia gave him a sceptical glance. "That sounds suspiciously tame coming from you."

Richard’s lips twitched, conceding the point. "I might have compared someone to Draco Malfoy, just before he tried cursing me." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"And?" Nadia laughed out, her curiosity thoroughly piqued.

"Oops," she whispered, quickly covering her mouth as she remembered they were in the library.

Trevor leaned forward dramatically. "And Richard slapped him across the room as if he weighed nothing!"

"Why am I not surprised?" she murmured with a sigh.

Richard shrugged modestly. "I’m nothing if not full of surprises."

She smiled knowingly, shaking her head. "Clearly."